Tips For Surviving A Traffic Jam

Did you hear about the recent traffic jam in China? 50 lanes of gridlocked traffic. That’s right. 50 lanes. The aerial photos are enough to send anyone into a panic. You can see them here, but we don’t recommend it.

But what if you do get caught up in something this horrible? We’ve got you covered. Here are some tips for surviving a traffic jam…

Accept Your Fate

This may sound absurd or too New Agey to you. But it can really reduce your stress to just take a few moments and realize that at the moment, there really is nothing you can do to change the circumstances. But you can certainly change how you experience the traffic jam.

Be Prepared

You may not think of preparing for a traffic jam if you have a short commute to work. But it can happen anywhere. Try to always keep a bottle or two of water and some snacks in your car. Nothing is worse than being stuck in traffic for hours when you are hungry! Keep a spare phone charger in your glove box to make sure you can always stay connected.

Entertainment Is Key

You probably already have a favorite music streaming app for your daily commute. Use the time you are stuck in traffic to explore new music, create playlists for the future and generally rock out. Podcasts can really help pass the time, too.

Sometimes the worst part of traffic jams is the not knowing. Download Waze and you can actually chat with other people in the area, some of who may be near the front and can tell you the nature of what’s causing the jam.